How would you feel if you were the person that lead 231 men to their deaths?(George Custer) My guess would be pretty horrible. Well, there is one man in history that did just that and his name was George Armstrong Custer. What do you think: respectable man of war or an embarrassment to the civil war heros?
George Armstrong Custer was born on the fifth of December in the year 1839 in New Rumley, Ohio. He grew up in Harrison County with his siblings and proud parents, Emanuel Custer and Maria Ward Kirkpatrick.(George A. Custer) The family consisted of George born in 1839, Nevin born in 1843, Thomas in 1845, Boston in 1848, and little Margaret in 1852.(Kent) Since George or “Autie” as they called him, was the oldest he often helped his father when he worked in the blacksmith shop and on their farm.(Kent) Family stories were told about Emanuel being in a local militia group. Like his father, George strove to be a soldier in the U.S. army because his family couldn’t afford his former goal of becoming a lawyer. He even started dressing in small soldier uniforms at the age of four.(McNamara) Little did he know he would later have his dreams become a reality and become one of the most accomplished United States generals of all time.
Custer spent his early years in New Rumley’s schoolhouse. His teachers and classmates found his intelligent, but felt he didn’t live up to his full potential because he rarely put forth his best effort in class and when doing his homework. Instead of doing his work he would often play pranks and joke around. George was looked upon as the class clown and people came to him for a good laugh. Custer hid nothing in his nature. He was kind and generous to his friends; bitter towards his enem...
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Lee, Roger A. The History Guy: General George Armstrong Custer (1839-1876). Historyguy.com. History Guy Media, 23 Jan. 2011. Web. 18 Apr. 2011. .
McNamara, Robert. George Armstrong Custer Civil War Facts and Photos. New York Times, 2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. .
PBS-THE WEST-Geroge Armstrong Custer. New Perspectives on The West . PBS, 2001. Web. 18 Apr. 2011. .
Strom, Karen M. Geroge A. Custer and the Battle of The Little Bighorn. N.p., 2011. Web. 18 Apr. 2011. .
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The 7th Cavalry Regiment's destruction at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June 1876 is the subject of over a century of debate. LTC George A. Custer failed to exercise four key responsibilities that were expected of him as the regiment’s commander. He failed to understand the problem and environment, visualize a feasible solution, clearly describe it to his subordinates, and effectively direct his forces. These four aspects of mission command are integral to the operations process and help Soldiers understand and execute their commander's intent. Custer's failure to properly fulfill his role in the operations process resulted in his death and a strategic defeat for the nation.
Wagner, Frederic. 2011. Participants in the Battle of Little Big Horn. 1st Ed. Jefferson, NC: MacFarland and Company.
Slaughter, Thomas P. The Whiskey Rebellion: Frontier Epilogue to the American Revolution. New York: Oxford Univ Press, 1986. 291. Print.
There are many ways in which we can view the history of the American West. One view is the popular story of Cowboys and Indians. It is a grand story filled with adventure, excitement and gold. Another perspective is one of the Native Plains Indians and the rich histories that spanned thousands of years before white discovery and settlement. Elliot West’s book, Contested Plains: Indians, Goldseekers and the Rush to Colorado, offers a view into both of these worlds. West shows how the histories of both nations intertwine, relate and clash all while dealing with complex geological and environmental challenges. West argues that an understanding of the settling of the Great Plains must come from a deeper understanding, a more thorough knowledge of what came before the white settlers; “I came to believe that the dramatic, amusing, appalling, wondrous, despicable and heroic years of the mid-nineteenth century have to be seen to some degree in the context of the 120 centuries before them” .
Steltenkamp, Michael F. {Black Elk, Holy Man of the Oglala}. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1993.
Kinevan, Marcos E. "Frontier cavlryman, Lieutenant John bigelow with the Buffalo Soldiers in Texas." Texas Western Press, 1998.
The journey of exploration to the western territories brought the white man many great things, but they did face some opposition. The US government made plans to explore the Black Hills, after hearing of the gold it contained. This was not an easy task. The Sioux, with strong force, were not giving up their sacred land easily. The only way to gain the territory of the Black Hills was to wage war against the Sioux. The Battle of the Little Big Horn was one battle that the US will never forget. General George Custer led an army of men to take out the Sioux, one of the battalions was completely wiped out including Custer. The Sioux were very strong, but US had a lot more power and technology. Why did we get massacred? This question has been a mystery to many people throughout the years. Sergeant Windolph, of Benteen’s cavalry, and John F. Finerty, from General Crooks cavalry, bring us some personal accounts and memories of this tragedy.
General George B. McClellan was born to a prestigious upper class family in Pennsylvania. He attended the Military Academy at West Point and graduated second in his class in 1846. He served during the war with Mexico and earned three brevets for gallantry and sound professional service. He resigned his commission but returned early during the Civil War and immediately given a high rank. He led a successful campaign in West Virginia. These events fueled General McClellan’s egotistical and elitist attitudes.
New York Times, “A Fight with the Hostiles.” December 30, 1890 p.1 c.4 New York Tribune, “Fighting at Pine Ridge.” January 1, 1891 p.1 c.3
Priest, John Michael. Before Anteitam: The Battle for South Mountain. Shippensburg: White Mane Publishing Company, 1992.
Slotkin, R. Regeneration Through Violence: The Mythology of the American Frontier 1600-1860. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1973.
Limerick, Patricia Nelson. The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West. New York: Norton, 1987.
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Retrieved April 30, 2014, from International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/ Battle_of_the_Little_Bighorn_1876.aspx Klos, S. (2013, March 11). George Armstrong Custer. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from George Armstrong Custer: http://www.georgearmstrongcuster.com/ Princeton.
..., Edward J. Kowrach, and Thomas E. Connolly. Saga of the Coeur D'Alene Indians: an Account of Chief Joseph Seltice. Fairfield, WA: Ye Galleon, 1990. Print.